Iberdrola to Upgrade Power Plants in Spain

Iberdrola has launched a renewal plan for the existing condition monitoring systems in its plants in Spain. The plan will be implemented gradually, and Prosig was selected to install its Protor vibration condition monitoring system in three Iberdrola power stations. The contract was awarded to Prosig, in partnership with Aries Ingeniería y Sistemas, which is Prosig's representative in Spain.

Prosig has already successfully commissioned and installed the Protor system in the Lada (Asturias, Spain) and Pasajes (Guipúzcoa, Spain) power plants. The work primarily consists of supplying, installing, and signal cabling the Protor systems, together with training of the Iberdrola staff. Prosig will complete the third installation at the Velilla power plant, located in Palencia, Spain, in September 2010.

The monitoring and diagnosis of rotating equipment, based on vibration analysis measurement, is at the core of predictive maintenance systems. This type of system allows the condition and health of machines to be assessed. During operation, rotating equipment experiences dynamic stress caused by hydraulic, mechanical, or electrical forces that induce vibrations and contribute to both ageing and wear of machines. The damage level of a rotating machine is reflected in several measureable factors.

The Protor vibration monitoring system, designed and manufactured by Prosig, provides reliable online monitoring of turbine generators, main boiler feed pumps, and other auxiliary plant equipment. It provides both real-time and long-term historical access to the import vibration factors, together with various plant process parameters, which indicate the machine state.

Without information on the condition of primary equipment, such as turbines, pumps, and associated plant equipment, impending faults go unnoticed and develop into severe conditions that can result in failures. Failures may lead to unscheduled outages or more serious equipment damage with consequent loss of revenues.